Drilling sub for sidewall samplers



April 1952 w. A. STOKESBARY DRILLING SUB FOR SIDEWALL SAMPLERS FiledJuly 31, 1950 FIG.8

INVENTOR WALTER A STOKESBARY BY: W

H\ ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 29, 1952 DRILLING SUB FOR SIDEWALL SAMPLERSWalter A. Stokesbary, Bakersfield, Calif., assignor .to ShellDevelopment Company, San Francisco,

Calif., a corporation of Delaware Application July 31, 1950, Serial No.176,814

This invention relates to the art of sampling underground formationsduring rotary drilling operations and pertains more particularly toapparatus carried by a drill string for causing or permitting a sidewallsampler, lowered within the drill string, to contact or engage the wallof a well borehole.

During the drilling of an oil well it is often desirable to obtainsamples of the underground formations as the drilling progresses.Preferably, these samples are obtained without going through thetime-consuming operation of removing the drill string and bit from theborehole before running special sampling apparatus into the borehole.Thus, it is a common practice to provide the drill string with a specialsub, collar, or section of pipe having a suitable port in the wallthereof, whereby a retractable sampler may be lowered through the drillstring and extend through said port to engage the borehole wall.

The special subs, which are presently used in drilling operations andare adapted to accommodate a sampling device, are generally providedwith two conduits. One conduit accommodates the sampling device andcommunicates with the borehole through a side port, while the secondconduit by-passes the side port, so that drilling fluid may be pumped tothe drill bit. The main drawback with these special sampling subs isthat the first conduit must be closed by a plug when normal drilling isbeing carried on and the sampling device is not being used. Thisnecessitates the removal of the plug each time before a sample may betaken, said removal being a time-consuming operation.

It is a primary object of this invention to provide a special samplingsub adapted to be connected into a drill string, said sampling subhaving a normally closed port through the wall thereof, said port beingadapted to be opened by a sampling device lowered through the drillstring, whereby the sampling device may engage the borehole wall.

Another object of this invention is to provide a special sub adapted toreceive a sampling device for securing samples of the drill formationwithout necessitating the removal of the drill string and bit from theborehole.

A further object of this invention is to provide a drill string with asampling sub adapted to receive and latch therein, in sample-takingposition, a sidewall sampler, the taking of the desired samples from apenetrated formation 7 Claims. (Cl. 2551.4)

being effected by movement of the drill string when the sampler islatched in position.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a sampling subhaving port means in the wall thereof, said port means being adapted toclose automatically after a sampling device has been removed from thesub.

These and other objects of this invention will be understood from thefollowing description taken with reference to the attached drawings,wherein:

Figure l is a longitudinal view, partly in cross section, of the presentsampling sub showing a sampling device entering the top of the sub.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal view, partly in cross section, of. thepresent sampling sub with a sampling device operatively positionedtherein.

Figure 3 is an isometric view of the slidable sleeve which is carriedwithin the sampling sub.

Figure 4 illustrates the present sampling sub connected into a drillstring and positioned within a well borehole.

Figure 5 is a partial side view taken at right angles to Figure 2.

Figures 6, 7 and 8 illustrate different methods of securing a corebarrel to a sampling apparatus.

Figures 9 and 10 are longitudinal front and side views of anotherembodiment of a sleeve to be mounted Within the sub of Figure 1.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawing, the present sidewallsampling sub comprises an elongated tubular member l0 threaded at itsupper and lower ends H and I2, respectively, whereby the upper end H maybe threadedly connected to a drill string I3, as shown in Figure 4, andthe lower end may be connected to another section of drill string or toa bit I5.

A plurality of annular grooves or recesses it are provided in the innersurface or wall ll of the tubular member 10 below the upper end llthereof (Figures 2 and 4). The grooves iii are preferably given aV-shape, as shown in Figure 2. While the grooves l6 may be formed in theinner wall of the tubular sub It! as shown in Figure 4, they arepreferably formed in a special tubular member or latch sub I3 adapted tobe threadedly connected to the upper end I I of the sub Hi, as shown inFigure 2.

Fixedly secured, as by welding, to the inner wall near the lower end l2of the tubular member i0 is .a ring 2.9, or other suitable means, foranchoring .a compression spring 2! above it within the bore [8 of saidmember Ill. The upper end of the spring bears against the lower end of atubular sleeve 22 mounted for sliding movement within the bore 18 of thetubular sub 10.

As shown in Figure 3, the sleeve 22 has two longitudinal slots 23 and 24cut therein from the upper end toward the lower end thereof, forming twoupstanding arms 25 and 26 at the upper end. One slot 23 is long andnarrow and serve as a guide slot, extending substantially the totallength of the sleeve. The otherslot 24 is shorter than slot 23 with thewidth of slot 24 being about equal to the inner diameter of the sleeve22.

The tubular member 40 is provided with a longitudinal slot or port 21through the wall thereof, preferably near the lower end [2. The width ofthe slot 21 is sufficient to accommodate a sample tube, or core barrelor shoe 28, of a sidewall sampler 29 adapted to be lowered within thebore !8 of the tubular member 19. The length of the slot 21 is greatenough to permit the sample tube 28 to project outwardly through saidslot 21 to a horizontal position, as shown in Figure 2. To facilitatethe passage of the tube 28 through the slot 21, the wall of the tubularmember 19 may be beveled inwardly along the top of the slot 21 andoutwardly along the bottom thereof, as shown at 30 and 31, respectively.

Fixedly secured to the inner wall of the tubular member directlyopposite the slot 21 is a deflector bracket or guide plate 32 extendinginwardly substantially across the bore 18. With the slidable sleeve 22positioned so that it effectively closes the slot 21, the deflectorbracket 32 extends through the guide slot 23 of the sleeve 22substantially to the opposite inner wall of the sleeve as shown inFigure 1. The deflector bracket 32 thus serves the twofold purpose oforienting the sleeve 22 so that the larger slot 24 therein is alwaysaxially aligned with the longitudinal port 21 in the wall of the tubularmember I9, and also of deflecting the barrel 23 of the sampler 29through the slot 21.

The expanded length of the compression spring 2! is greater than thedistance from its holding ring 20 to the lower end of the sleeve 22 whenit closes the slot 21, as shown in Figure 1. Thus, there is always apositive spring action applied to the bottom of the sleeve 22 tending toforce it upwardly against the bracket 32 which serves as the limitingstop of the upward movement of the sleeve. The slidable sleeve 22 has agreater length than the longitudinal port 21 which it is adapted toclose. The length of the slot 21 is determined by the length of thesampler barrel 28 to be deflected therethrough. Likewise, the distancefrom the slot 21 and the annular grooves 58 near the top of the tubularmember i9 is dependent upon the distance between the sample barrel 28 ofthe sidewall sampler 29 and a latching device 33 carried thereby, saidlatching device 33 being adapted to engage the grooves 11 in a mannerwell known to the art.

The inner diameter of the tubular member I9 is suflicient to accommodateany of the many conventional types of sidewall samplers or coringdevices. Since these devices are well known to the art and do not inthemselves form part of the present invention, they will not bedescribed in detail. For purposes of illustration, the operation of thepresent sampling sub will be described with regard to the taking of asample with the sidewall sampling device 29.

As shown in Figures 2 and 4, the top of the sampling device 29 isprovided with a conventional fishing neck 35 suitably connected to tripthe latching means 33 when an upward force is applied to said neck 39.Since latching devices 33 of the type presently used are well known tothe art of wire-line well apparatus, they will not be further describedat this time. The sample barrel 28 may be connected to the sampler body215 for angular displacement with regard to the axis thereof in any ofseveral different ways. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the barrel 23 ispivotally mounted on the lower end of the sampler body 29 by a pin 35whereby the barrel 28 may be pivoted in a slot 36 (Figure 5) in thelower end of said body and slot 21 of the sub to a horizontal positionas shown in Figure 53. Preferably, when the sampler is being run into awell, the barrel 28 is fixedly positioned with regard to the samplerbody 29 by a shear pin 3? (Figure l) which passes through the wall ofboth the barrel 28 and the sampler body 29. The pin 31 is sheared whenthe barrel 28 contacts the deflector bracket 32.

Since the above-described sampler 29 is equipped with a hinged-type corebarrel 28, it is necessary that it be provided with suitable orientingmeans whereby the sampler 29 is properly aligned when it enters thespecial sub in) so that the barrel 28, when actuated, will be flexedoutward through the slot 21. Thus, as shown in Figure 5, the body ormandrel of the sampler 29 is provided with a longitudinal slot 39 fromwhich diverging shoulders 39 slant downwardly around the body. Analignment pin or guide key 49 (Figure 1) is fixedly mounted in the subbody 29 so as to project into the bore 13 thereof. As the sampler 29 islowered into the special sampling sub, the projecting pin 49 will engagethe shoulder 39 at one point. Thereupon, the pin 40 will ride up theshoulder 39 and cause the'sampler 29 to rotate in the bore of the sub ituntil the pin 49 and the slot 38 are in vertical alignment. Since thepin 49 and slot 21 as well as slots 39 and 38 are vertically aligned,the core barrel 28 will always be forced into register with slot 21.

Instead of hinging the core barrel 28 to the sampler 29 by a pin 35, twoor more ball and socket joints 4| and 42 may be employed, as shown inFigure 6. A core barrel mounted in this manner is particularly desirablein that it is adapted to swing in any direction and hence no orientingmeans need be provided to align the sampler 29 properly within the sub[0. Upon striking the deflector bracket 32 (Figure 2), the barrel 43 ofthe embodiment shown in Figure 6 would be automatically deflected outthe longitudinal slot 21. In this embodiment the bottom of the sampleris provided with one or more downwardly extending narrow pins 44 whichare adapted to contact the top of the sleeve 22 of the sub l9 and forceit downward, thus opening the slot 21.

While the sleeve 22 of the sampling sub 10 is preferably provided with alarge slot 24 so as to permit a sampler barrel 28 to be deflectedoutwards through slots 24 and 21 by the deflector bracket 32, it will beseen that no slot 24 need be provided in the sleeve when the lower endof the sampler is provided with one or more relatively longdownwardly-extending pins or arms 45, as illustrated in Figure '7. Inthis embodiment, the arms 45 are longer than the core barrel 28 and movethe sleeve 22 of the sub downward to open the slot 21 before the barrel28 contacts the deflector bracket 32.

In the embodiment of Figure 8, another core barrel 46 is shown as beingsecured to the lower end of the sampler 29 by universal joint meanscomprising a flexible metallic. sheath 4'! which may be covered or linedwith rubber or any other suitable material, if desired.

During drilling operations, the drill string l3 (Figure 4) may be made.up withv the present special sampling sub l suitably connected therein.The tubular slidable sleeve 22' is maintained in its uppermost positionby the. spring 2| (Figure 1) the. sleeve 22. acting as a, valve closuremember to close the. slot or sidedoor 21 in the. sub [0. Thus, drilling.fluid which isv pumped down through the drill string [3 passes throughthe sampling sub l0 and tubular sleeve. 22 thereof, and out through thebit (5.

When, in the course. of drilling operations, it. is desired to take coresamples of the. formation (or fluid samples therefrom), circulation ofdrilling mud through the drill string I3 is stopped and a sidewallsampling device 29 is either dropped or lowered on a wire line. 48(Figure. 4) through the drill string l3 and into the. special sub. l0.As the sampler 29 moves downward through the sub [0 (as shown in Figure1)., the. lower end of the sampler'29 contacts the upper end of theslidable sleeve 22 forcing it downward against the action of the spring2| and opening the slot 26' in the wall of the sub l0.

Simultaneously, the alignment. pin 40 strikes one of the convergingshoulders 39, sliding along said shoulder and into the. slot 38 to alignthe sampler 29 properly with regard to the slot 21' in the sub ID. Thesampler 29 and sleeve 22 continue their downward travel until the. corebarrel 28 at the lower end of the sampler 29 strikes the inclined uppersurfaceofthe deflector bracket 32. The weight of the sampler 29 bearingagainst the deflector bracket. 32 shears the pin.3'l and the core barrel28 movesoutwardly through the slot 21 in the wall ofv the sub ljfl so.that the core barrel 28 is. forced. into engagement with the formationtraversed by the borehole.

At the same time the latching member 33 is free to swing to one side.into. engagement with one of the notches I5. After. the. latch 33- hasswung into position, the sampler. 29 is. held. securely within the bore.[8 of the sub, [0 by the action of the latch 33 and the. engagement. ofthe bottom of the sampler 29 on the topof the depressed spring-loadedsleeve 22, as. illustrated in Figure 2.

The drill string l3 (Figure 4) carrying the sampling sub is then loweredfurther into the borehole, thereby forcing the core barrel 28 topenetrate the formation in a. horizontal position as shown in Figure 4.The subsequent raising of the, drill string l3 causes the core barrel 28to be withdrawn, along with its sample, from the well formation. Afishing tool 49, carried on the end of a cable 48, may be then utilizedto engage the fishing neck 34. The latching member l6, being operativelyconnected to said neck 34, may be released by an upward pull on saidneck. 34. After the latch l6 has been disengaged, the sampler may bewithdrawn from the sub 10 and drill string l3 by suitable hoistingapparatus 5.0v ositioned at the well head. As the sampler 29 is removedfrom the sub, the action of the spring 2| returns the slidable sleeve 22to its normal raised position thus closing the slot 21 in the wall ofthe sub. Circulation of fluid may be then resumed with 6 the fluidflowing through the drill string [3 and sub l0 and out through the bitl5.

Obviously, by these operations and with the present sampling subconnected in a drill string. samples may be taken at any desired time orpoint during drilling operations. Also, if desired, samples may be takenof the various formations and strata through which the drill string hasalready passed. For example, when the drill string is being run into orwithdrawn from the borehole, the string may be suspended at successive100 ft. intervals while a sampler is lowered through the string and intothe special sub. [0 to obtain a sample of earth or fluid from theadjacent formation.

While the deflector bracket 32 carried. within the present sub 10 isdescribedv as being fixedly secured to the inner wall of said sub 10, itis to be realized that other deflector means may be employed. Forexample, as shown in Figures 9- and 10, the deflector means may compriseone-or more downwardly sloping bar members 5i fixedly secured across thetop of a slidable sleeve 52 carried within the sub 10, said sleeve 52corresponding to sleeve 22 of Figure 1. Preferably, the top of thesleeve 52 is beveled at an angle as shown in Figure 10. The sleeve isalso provided with a. longitudinal keyway 53 adapted to receive a'key(not shown), said key being similar to alignment pin 40 and mounted onthe inner surface of the sub Ii! opposite the sleeve 52 in asimilar.manner. Thus, the deflector bars 51 would always be positioned todeflect the core barrel28 through the slot 27. As a sampler 29 enters asub [0 provided with the sleeve 52, the core barrel. 28. at the lowerend of the sampler strikes. the. bars 5| and is deflected toward theslot 21 as the pin 31. is sheared. Simultaneously, the sleeve 52is'forced downward, opening the slot. 21 to allow the core barrel 28 toswing outward therefrom in amanner previously described. With. thesampling, device 29 withdrawn from the sub III, the spring 2i will raisthe sleeve 22 to its raised position. Fluid being pumped through thedrill string (3 will flow around the deflector bar or bars. 51, throughthe sleeve 22 and sub [0,. and out the bit 15.

From the above description, it is'apparent that other changes andmodifications may be made in the various elements of the presentsidewall sampling sub without departing from the principles taughtherein.

I claim as my invention:

1. A sub adapted to be connected into a pipe string, said sub comprisinga tubular member having a longitudinal opening in the wall thereof,valve means carried within said tubular member for closing said opening,spring means for maintaining said valve means in a normally closedposition, and deflector means carried within said tubular member inalignmentv with the opening therein, said deflector means extending intothe bore of said tubular member, said tubular member being axially opento the flow of fluid circulating through the pipe string.

2. A sub adapted to be connected into a pipe string, said sub comprisingan elongated tubular member having a longitudinal opening in the wallthereof, tubular sleeve means slidably mounted in the bore of saidtubular member, spring. means supported within the borev of said tubularmember and normally urging said sleeve means. to a position closing saidopening, anddeflector. means aflixed to wall of said bore of th tubularmember opposite said opening and in alignment therewith, said deflectormeans extending diametricallyacross a major portion of the bore of saidtubular valve means, the bore of said tubular member being axially opento the flow of the fluid circulating in the pipe string. 3. A subadapted to be connected in a pipe string and lowered into a wellborehole, said sub being adapted to receive a sidewall samplingdevicewhich is lowered through said pipe string and into said sub, saidsampling device having latching means mounted thereon and carrying adeflectable downwardly-extending sample barrel at its lower end, saidsub comprising an elongated tubular member threaded at its upper andlower ends for connection into said pipe string, said tubular memberhaving alongitudinal opening in the wall thereof in communicationbetween the outside and the bore of said tubular member, a sleeveslidably mounted within the tubular member for normally closing saidopening, a longitudinal slot in said sleeve extending over the majorportion thereof, a coil spring in the bore of said tubular member belowsaid sleeve, the lower end of said spring being anchored in said tubularmember, and a deflector bracket aflixed to the inner wall ofsaid tubularmember opposite the lower end of the'opening in the tubular member, saidbracket sloping downwardly and extending through the slot in said sleeveand diametrically across the major portion of the bore of said sleeve.

4. A device for sampling well boreholes comprising in combination a pipestring, a sub connected into said pipe string and a sidewall samplingdevice adapted to be lowered through said pipe string into said sub,said sampling device being provided with outwardly-extending'latchingmeans and carrying a downwardly-extending, sideways-deflectable samplebarrel, said sub comprising an elongated tubular member threaded at theupper andlower ends for connection into the pipe string, said tubularmember. having a longitudinal opening in the wall thereof, a sleevehaving a longitudinal slot extending along the major portion thereof,said sleeve being slidably mounted within said tubular member, a coilspring mounted for axial movement within the bore of said tubular memberfor normally positioning the slidable sleeve to close said opening, thelower end of said sampling device being adapted to bear against the topof said sleeve whereby the weight of said sampling device forces saidsleeve below said opening, a deflector bracket aflixed to the inner wallof said tubular member opposite the lower end of the opening in saidmember, said bracket sloping downwardly and extending through the slotin said sleeve'and diametrically across the major portion of the bore ofsaid sleeve, at least one annular groove in the inner wall of saidtubular member above said opening to receive the latching means of saidsampling device, and cooperating orienting means in the bore of saidtubular member and on said sampling device to guide said device to apredetermined position within the bore so that the sample barrel movesoutwardly over the deflector bracket and out the opening in the tubularmember.

5. For use in sidewall coring operations wherein a sidewall coringdevice is lowered into a drill string, a tubular sub member adapted tobe con nected into said drill string, said tubular member having anaxially extending window in communication between the outside and thebore of said tubular member, deflector plate means aflixed to the wallof said bore approximately at the level of said window and extendingwell into said bore along an axial plane passing through the longi--tudinal center line of said window, retainer means aflfixed to the wallsof said bore below said window, coil spring means supported thereonwithin the bore portion between said retainer means and said window, atubular sleeve member slidably fitting within said bore supported bysaid spring, said tubular sleeve having first longitudinal slot meansextending from the upper end to substantially the lower end thereof,said plate deflector means extending slidably through said slot meansinto the space within said sleeve, and second longitudinal slot meansdiametrically opposite said first slot means, said second meansextending longitudinally through the upper portion only of said sleevemeans and having a width substantially equal to that of said windowmeans,

the wall of said sleeve below said second slot having an axial length inexcess of that of said window, whereby said window is closed by saidsleeve when said sleeve is supported by said spring in its normallyexpanded state, and is opened through said second slot means when saidspring is compressed by the application of a weight to the sleevesupported thereon.

6. A device for sampling well boreholes com prising in combination apipe string, a sub connected into said pipe string and a sidewallsampling device adapted to be lowered through said pipe string into saidsub, said sampling device being provided with outwardly-extendinglatching means and carrying a downwardly-extending, sideways-defiectablesample barrel, said sub comprising a tubular sub member adapted to beconnected into said drill string, said tubular member having an axiallyextending window in communication between the outside and the bore ofsaid tubular member, deflector the wall of said bore approximately atthe level of said window and extending well into said bore along anaxial plane passing through the longitudinal center line of said window,retainer means aflixed to the walls of said bore below said window, coilspring means supported thereon within the bore portion between saidretainer means and said window, a tubular sleeve member slidably fittingwithin said bore supported by said spring, said tubular sleeve havingfirst longitudinal slot means extending from the upper end tosubstantially the lower end thereof, said plate deflector meansextending slidably through said slot means into the space within saidsleeve, and second longitudinal slot means diametrically opposite saidfirst slot means, said second means extending longitudinally through theupper portion only of said sleeve means and having a width substantiallyequal to that of said window means, the wall of said sleeve below saidsecond slot having an axial length in excess of that of said window,whereby said window is closed by said sleeve when said sleeve issupported by said spring in its normally expanded state, and is openedthrough said second slot means when said sleeve is depressed downwardlyand said spring is com pressed by the weight of said sampling devicebearing against the top of said sleeve.

7. A sub adapted to be connected in a pipe string and lowered into awell borehole, said sub being adapted to receive a sidewall samplingdevice which is lowered through said pipe string and into said sub, saidsampling device having latching means and carrying downwardly-extending,sideways-defiectable sample barrel at its lower end, said sub,comprising an elongated tubuplate means affixed to v lar member threadedat its upper and lower ends for connection into said pipe string, saidtubular member having a longitudinal opening in the wall thereof, asleeve slidably mounted within the tubular member for normally closingsaid opening, a compression spring in the bore of said tubular memberbelow said sleeve, the lower end of said spring being anchored in saidtubular member, and a downwardly-sloping deflector bracket affixeddiametrically across the top of said sleeve for deflecting the samplebarrel of said sampling device through the longitudinal opening in saidtubular member as said sleeve is depressed.

WALTER A. STOKESBARY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

